The Importance of Structure and Routines

What does structure mean?

Structure is known as a “coherent form or organization” (Merriam-Webster, 2020). Having structure in all aspects of your life can potentially help to reduce stress and create a sense of balance in the everyday hustle and bustle. Structure does not always have to be a specific time-table of events (however if that’s what works for you, then go ahead!). Structure can also just be knowing what is coming up next; i.e., now that I ate my breakfast, it’s time to brush my teeth. Having some sort of structure and routine set-up can take away the uncertainty of the day, and promote independence for your children. It is important to know that even if we have everything perfectly planned out, sometimes life throws obstacles your way. Although this can be challenging, having some sort of daily routine can help bring balance back to your life, even when things get tricky.

What does structure look like in the home?

Creating a routine that is specific to your home will look different for everyone. Your routine will be based on the needs of the individuals in your home, as well as determining a system that works best for your home environment. There are 3 key points to keep in mind for creating structure and any kind of routine in your home, and these include:

• Ensure expectations are clear and understood: Setting expectations will be rules to fall back on when your day becomes challenging. Additionally, this will promote independence in your children as they will know what is expected of them, and will not always have to rely on adult prompts.

• Determine how your child can best understand a schedule: There are many ways to introduce schedules in your household, some examples are visual schedules, or an activity schedule. 

• Make your routine predictable: Your child should know what to expect throughout the day, so ensure you follow through with the schedule that is created. This can be the hardest part, so remember to be consistent, it will be worth it.

Why is this important for my child?

Having a simple routine to follow can help alleviate the stress of everyday life, not only for children, but for parents as well. Studies show that many (but not all) children with Autism are visual thinkers, and many rely on visual or verbal prompts (cues) from the environment (Mavropoulou, 2010). Additionally, many children with Autism experience difficulty organizing their thoughts and environment independently. Dalrymple (1995) explains that “when concrete information is in place about the day’s or week’s events, it is far easier to explain change than having to rely on verbal explanations” (p. 252, as cited by Dettmer, Simpson, Myles and Ganz, 2000). Simply put, having an established schedule for your home will help create structure and stability in your life when life throws obstacles your way. Your schedule will be the backbone of your home, and will always be something to refer back to.

References  

Dettmer, J. (n.d.). The use of visual supports to facilitate transitions of students with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities., 15(3), 163–169.

Mavropoulou, S. (n.d.). Effects of Task Organization on the Independent Play of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders., 41(7), 913–925.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Structure. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved April 3, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/structure

ABA in Everyday Life

Okay, first things first, what is ABA?

ABA stands for Applied Behaviour Analysis, and behaviourists all around the world use its concepts and techniques to improve individual’s quality of life, and promote independence. Whether or not you are a behaviour expert, ABA simply means applying the science of learning and behaviour to solving everyday challenges.

Let's break it down:

Applied: Applying scientific understanding and concepts to typical, everyday life, like learning.

Behaviour: Everything we do – from eating, walking, finishing your homework, to our reflexes and responses – all have an impact on our learning.

Analysis: Examining and understanding data taken on how and why we engage in the behaviours that we do.

All in all, ABA helps us:

• Understand why a behaviour occurs

• Understand why certain behaviours are learned

• Determine what influences or affects behaviour

• Shape behaviour and teach new behaviour

So, why do we use ABA?

Those in the ABA field seek to better the lives of others in two ways:

• Increase or teach appropriate, healthy behaviours

• Decrease inappropriate, harmful behaviours by teaching appropriate replacement behaviours

ABA is a field with many interventions that have been scientifically shown to be effective in shaping and changing behaviour and is very commonly used for individuals with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), sometimes simply called Autism. The concepts and techniques used in ABA therapy can help improve the quality of life of individuals with Autism, as well their family, friends and peers. ABA is also known for promoting independence with its individualized program approach to best suit the strengths and areas of need for each individual. 

However, ABA is not just for individuals in the Autism community! ABA can be used for people of all abilities, whether or not there is an Autism diagnosis. 

How does ABA relate to my life?

We use it everyday! You have experienced some of the principles that ABA describes in your everyday life, without even knowing it! Here are some examples of 2 of the foundational principles of ABA: reinforcement and punishment. 

We use it at SCHOOL

Everyone has been there - you have a test or exam coming up in a subject that you dislike, and it seems more daunting the closer it gets. But, despite not enjoying it, you study your butt off to get it over with. A few days after writing your test, you get your results back: an A! Wow! All that hard work and studying really paid off. This is an example of Positive Reinforcement; I added in studying to my school routine and I was rewarded with an A on my test, I’m definitely going to do that again when the next test comes around! 

We use it at HOME

Woohoo, it’s the weekend! You are spending it with family, but you trip and hurt your ankle. Ouch, it hurts! You could ice it, but you try to just sit down and let it rest, because you hate the cold. Resting your ankle doesn’t help and you are ready for weekend fun so when someone suggests putting an ice pack on to help the pain and swelling you agree. After a little while with the ice, it feels much better! This is an example of Negative Reinforcement; I put the ice pack onto my ankle and it relieved the pain I was experiencing, I will do that again the next time it hurts! 

We use it at WORK

Within one day at work, you receive around 20 emails a day, and sometimes you don’t have time to read all of them. Today, you received an email from your boss, and the subject was titled: “NEW POLICY, MUST READ TODAY”. You respect your boss, but it’s almost time to go home, so you decide to skip reading the email and go home early. The next day, you go about your typical work routine and stop for lunch at 11:30, as per usual. Your boss approaches you at 11:45, telling you that you are late for the meeting that was set for 11:30. Wait, what? Your boss continues to explain there has been a schedule change outlined in the email sent out yesterday, and lunches will now be taken at 12:30, with daily check-in meetings happening at 11:30. Your boss is not very happy with you, and expresses his disappointment, which makes you feel bad. This is an example of Positive Punishment; my boss used words to express his disappointment, which does not make me feel very good. If I don’t want to feel that way in the future I will probably choose not to leave work early when I still have important emails to read. 

We use it in the COMMUNITY 

Oh no, you are late for your appointment! You woke up late, ran out the door and sped off to your dentist appointment, but you may have been going a little too fast. A police officer pulls you over and gives you a speeding ticket for $200! It’s the law, you cannot go over the speed limit when driving because it is not safe. Now, you are at a loss of $200 because of your actions. This is an example of Negative Punishment; I did not follow the speed limit so now I lose $200. I really do not want to lose more money so I won’t do that again!

These 4 examples are all ways we incorporate ABA in our everyday life. Depending on the needs of the individual in ABA therapy, we apply these concepts, among others to help them grow and learn in a safe and healthy environment. Additionally, these concepts are used in all aspects of living our daily lives. Think of all the ways you use ABA in your life, it’s more often than you think!

Covid-19 Quarantine: Looking at it Behaviourally

We recognize that the impact of this outbreak can be quite overwhelming. During times like these, it would be strange not to be anxious. Feeling fearful in such times often cannot be avoided. As the world moves into a coronavirus quarantine, many of us are asking ourselves “What should I do with my time?” and trying to put together a plan or a schedule. 

There are already measures in place to protect us from coming into contact with COVID-19. It is helpful to implement these strategies to keep all of us safe, but there is another side to all of this:

What do we do now that daily life has changed?

As we journey through this challenging time, it may be beneficial to examine our behaviors and see how they impact the various circumstances that we may encounter everyday.

Behavioural Contingencies 

Are you familiar with the term Behavioral Contingencies? Well, first things first, a behavior is anything we do. So then, what is a contingency? A contingency means that a consequence (reward or loss) depends on a behaviour.

Essentially, behavioural contingencies state the “if-then” conditions for the likelihood of a certain behavior and its consequences. Our response to everything that is happening around us has its consequences, and we learn something from every consequence. 

Behavioral contingencies are always present, affecting our every act and movement, without us ever being aware of them. But for just this moment, let’s try to apply this in our current situation as we are caught up in this COVID-19 outbreak. Let me walk you through each term used to explain possible contingencies:

Three-Term Contingency

The three-term contingency attempts to capture how the environment affects our behaviour by looking at relationships between three things; an antecedent (something that happens just before a behaviour), a behavior (anything we do), and a consequence (something that happens just after a behaviour).

This means that the things we do are chosen (consciously or not) because of the consequences that most often follow them. We know when a particular consequence is available due to signals in our environment. For example, an “OPEN” sign on a restaurant is an antecedent; the consequence of going in and ordering food (behavior) is that I get the food!

These signals in our environment help motivate our behaviour and the consequence of any behaviour either increases (reinforcement) or decreases (punishment) the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. Now, let’s explore how we are being asked to respond to the measures set in place to combat this COVID-19 outbreak based on the three-term contingency (antecedent, behaviour, consequence).

 3-Term Contingency:

As we look at the table, it clearly shows that the relationship between the behaviour and a consequence has an effect on the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated, either increasing the likelihood, or decreasing it. Remember those signals that we were talking about earlier that tell us when a certain consequence is available (like an “OPEN” sign on a restaurant). Those signals are part of how humans decide to behave and are part of what those in ABA call “motivating operations” (or MOs). Let’s add these MO’s onto our three-term contingency table to make it a four-term contingency (MO, antecedent, behaviour, consequence).

Four-Term Contingency:

Reinforcement and punishment both depend on motivation. What motivates us is dynamic and ever changing and is influenced by the signals in our environment that certain consequences are available. During this pandemic, many signals that we are used to, along with the consequences they indicate, are no longer available. It being early morning and feeling hungry is no longer a signal that you can go out to eat at your favorite place. Your car in your driveway is no longer a signal that you can go for a drive to visit a friend.

This change will impact our behaviors, because it has changed what consequences are available. If we understand the 3 and 4 term contingency, however, we stand a chance at gaining some control  in this chaotic time. If you know that your family loves to go out to eat, you could decorate the space you eat to look like a restaurant and have your guests “arrive” to sit and eat a special meal together. If you know that it being a beautiful sunny day is a signal for you to go outside make sure to plan time to take the 90 minutes for exercise that our current situation allows. You can also spend more time outside on your property. 

So, as we live in this challenging moment, as we combat the spread of COVID-19, it is imperative that we comply with all the measures set in place for the safety of everyone. It can be alarming and threatening to not know when all this may end, but it is comforting to know that we can maintain control over our lives. It is up to us now on how we contribute to making our lives safe and satisfying so that we can make our earth a safe place to live in.

Stay home and save lives.